Blade server systems are known in the art. FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional blade server. The blade server 101 comprises an operating system 103 and is managed by a management module 102. Occasionally, the blade server either stops functioning or is functioning improperly. In such a situation, it is often difficult to determine if the problem is with the operating system 103. Being able to quickly determine the state of the operating system 103 is important so that the operating system 103 can be re-initialized if it is the problem. If the operating system 103 is not the problem, then re-initializing it would be undesirable.
One conventional method for determining the state of the operating system 103 utilizes a driver 104 of the operating system 103 that periodically resets a watchdog circuitry 105 added to the blade server 101. If the watchdog circuitry times out without a reset, then this indicates that the operating system 103 has ceased to function properly. However, this solution requires specialized software (the driver 104) and specialized hardware (the watchdog circuitry 105), adding to the cost of the system.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method and system for determining the state of an operating system. The improved method and system should not require special hardware or software. The present invention addresses such a need.